Paula Abdul to be honored by Nevada LGBTQ organization

The inaugural Nevada Equality Awards has picked a famous recording artist, TV personality and Strip headliner as its first celeb honoree.

Paula Abdul is to be honored at the event, presented by Silver State Equality, Nevada’s statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. She will be joined by Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, at the organization’s Inaugural Nevada Equality Awards on Nov. 6 at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club located inside Linq Promenade.

“I am honored and proud to be recognized by Silver State Equality,” Abdul, who returns to her “Forever Your Girl” residency at Flamingo Las Vegas on Oct. 22, said in a statement. “Since the time I began my career, the LGBTQ community has been invaluable to my success, and with that I vow to continue my support and advocacy for equal rights.”

Abdul has fought to support funding for those suffering from HIV/AIDS dating to her breakthrough period in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Silver State Equality State Director André C. Wade said in the same statement, issued Thursday morning: “Paula Abdul has been both an LGBTQ icon and an outspoken advocate for our community and for people living with HIV — even when others remained silent. Senator Parks has been a trailblazing champion in Carson City, where he has provided crucial leadership for the LGBTQ community, passing some of Nevada’s most important civil rights protections during his career.”

Individual tickets start at $150 and are available at silverstateequality.org/equality-awards.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.